Sunday Reflections
We celebrate the 4th Sunday of Easter today. The gospel reading on the 4th Sunday of Easter always come from Jesus’ Good Shepherd discourse in chapter 10 of the Gospel of John. We also celebrate it as the World Day…
Read MoreJesus’ death on the Cross was “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23). It was a “stumbling block to Jews” because it was not what they expected or wanted. Our first reading from Isaiah today…
Read MoreToday we celebrate Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, more simply known to many as “Palm Sunday.” We hear two gospels today. We begin Mass with the blessing of palms and a gospel recalling Jesus’ final entry into…
Read MoreLast week we hear God giving the Ten Commandments to his people (Exodus 20:1-17). God made it clear to his people how He expected them to live. It’s not just what He wanted. God knows that the Ten Commandments are good…
Read More“God put Abraham to the test.” How would you fair with the same test? Last week I spoke about our struggles to resist temptation. Who you do any better with the test that Abraham faced when God told him, “Take…
Read MoreJesus had been healing many people. In today’s gospel, “A leper came to Jesus.” Given the number of people that were coming to Jesus one might think of the man with leprosy as one of many. He knelt before Jesus and…
Read MoreIn today’s second reading Paul writes, “I should like you to be free of anxieties.” I’m glad to hear that because I want to be free of anxiety. Who wants to be anxious? Yet, at times we are. Sometimes the concerns are…
Read MoreAs today’s first reading begins, “Samuel was sleeping in the temple.” Why? His mother prayed fervently for a child. When God gave her Samuel, she was so appreciative of the gift of a child that she gave Samuel back to the Lord…
Read MoreWe are about to start a very busy weekend in the Church. This Sunday (December 24th) is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Then Christmas arrives on Monday. That means there will be the normal Sunday Masses. Then, at 4 pm…
Read MoreIn our present season of Advent, we are called to reflect on our readiness for the Second Coming of Jesus. This means we need to make a thorough examination of conscience. The color violent is a color that symbolizes penance…
Read MorePsalm 128 begins, “Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.” Today’s gospel speaks of the third servant who acts out of fear of his Lord. Are these two passages in conflict? The psalm speaks of…
Read MoreThe number of Christian disciples in many parts of the world is shrinking. Fewer people identify as Christians. Some because they formally reject God while others have not been taught that God exists and loves them. Add to this the…
Read MoreIn our first reading today Isaiah writes of his friend who “had a vineyard on a fertile hillside; he spaded it, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines; within it he built a watchtower, and hew out a…
Read MoreIn today’s parable Jesus talks about “how much” the landowner pays his servants. As the sun rises he “went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.” He agreed to pay the “usual daily wage.” All is as it…
Read MoreIn the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” In the Act of Contrition we “firmly resolve to sin no more and to avoid whatever leads us to sin.” Avoiding temptation is not…
Read MoreAfter Jesus had multiplied the loaves and fed the vast crowd, He “made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side.” So begins today’s gospel. As He made his disciples leave in the boat, He…
Read MoreToday’s gospel begins, “Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” Why did He take them with him? He knew what was going to happen and He wanted them to see…
Read MoreIn today’s gospel Jesus continues to teach in parables. The first two parables speak of something so valuable that one would be willing to sell everything that one has to obtain the treasure that is offered. Jesus says the Kingdom…
Read MoreIn the time of our first reading today the Israelites were under foreign rule. Israel had been a great nation but had been defeated by their enemies. They were saddened in this situation. Through the prophet Zechariah the Lord tells…
Read MoreElisha spent much time travelling to deliver God’s message as his prophet. Today, we hear of the woman who urged him to dine at her house. She knew that Elisha was “a holy man of God.” She was already “a…
Read MoreGod did not simply free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and walk away. Rather, He chose to establish a covenant with them (see today’s first reading). In doing so, He formed a relationship with them. It was not a…
Read MoreThis Sunday we celebrate The Most Holy Trinity. In today’s second reading, Paul concludes his Second Letter to the Corinthians invoking the Trinity as he writes, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the…
Read More“After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles returned to Jerusalem.” There, “they went to the upper room” (first reading for this 7th Sunday of Easter) The upper room is where they had gathered with Jesus after his…
Read MoreThere is suffering in the world. We wish there wasn’t. We pray for an end to all suffering. We need to seek to do our part to alleviate suffering. Yet, we know the reality is that there is suffering. It…
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